|
|
|
|
| Medina Charter of Prophet Muhammad and Pluralism
|
|
The clash of civilizations, cultures, tribes, and
religions seems to be prevalent throughout all of history. At the same time,
history reveals simultaneous conflict and efforts to resolve tensions and
division feeding animosity through mediation, diplomacy, and dialogue. Many
conflicts seem too complicated for an agreement to be established on just one
point, whether or not the conflict revolves around territory, religion, or
ethnic discrimination. So what approach is best to mediate issues in a
contemporary world that seems to be driven by economics, natural resources, and
ethnic or religious ideologies? The Medina Charter serves as an example of
finding resolve in a dispute where peace and pluralism were achieved not through
military successes or ulterior motives but rather through respect, acceptance,
and denunciation of war - aspects that reflect some of the basic tenets of the
religion Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was guiding and promoting. Through
an examination of the Medina Charter, I will show how pluralism was advanced and
instated in Medina and the reasons reflecting on such a document could help
avoid the divide and misunderstanding plaguing much thought, rhetoric, and media
today between Muslims, Christians, and Jews all over the world.
Click HERE to read full article.
|
|
|
Perfect Model for Humanity
|
|
History has
preserved the life-stories of men, thousands in number, who had achieved
eminence in one field or the other. All of them have left their imprints on the
pages of history. There are amongst them emperors surrounded by the splendor of
royal courts, an array of military commanders and generals, philosophers lost in
their thoughts, mighty conquerors intoxicated with power, poets singing to cheer
their own solitude with sweet songs and the affluent rolling in riches . All of
them have attraction of their own for the sons of Adam. Whether it be Hannibal
of Carthage, or Alexander of Macedonia, or Caesar of Rome, or Darius of Iran, or
yet Napoleon of France, the life of each has a fascination for the posterity.
Similarly alluring are the lives of all philosophers from Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle and Diogenes of the ancients to Spencer of England. Even the lives of
Nimrod and Pharaoh, Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab and Korah depict yet another
trait of human nature and character; but the question is, who amongst these, can
be deemed as a model of goodness and virtue fit to be followed by other human
beings? Great generals and conquerors, indeed were they, who swept everything
before them by their sword, but did they also succeed in leaving an ennobling
example of their lives to be followed by others? They had won brilliant
victories, but were they able to cut the shackles of superstition and credulous
beliefs? Did they solve any social problem besetting equality and brotherhood of
human beings? Did they succeed in restoring our moral and spiritual health and
happiness or in eradicating the faults and failings of our desires? Did they
present any model of moral rectitude and decorous behavior for the posterity?
Click HERE to read full article.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Qur'an and Space Sciences |
|
|
A thoughtful presentation of the Creation, Law, and Order of the Universe, the movement of the Sun, the existence of several Earth like
planets, the expansion of Space, the relativity of time and ending of the Universe.
Made by a professional aerospace scientist and engineer Zahir Ahmed who started his career with the man landing on the moon.
|
|
said to me, 
Be
kind, because kindness is an adornment to anything in which it is
found, and anything from which it is lacking is disgraced. 
